1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to means for establishing a smooth, aesthetically pleasing, error-free caulking joint, specifically to a water-based, phosphate-free, non-toxic, and biodegradable lubricant composition containing a combination of surfactants and stabilizer, as well as a method for its use, that can be easily removed following the curing of the caulking compound sealant. Applied directly to a bead of caulking compound sealant newly dispensed from the manufacturer""s tube or with use of a caulking gun, the present invention lubricant will not chemically interact with, prevent sealant curing, or otherwise contaminate the caulking compound sealant. Instead, application of the present invention by a user to a new bead of caulking compound sealant will allow the user to correct all imperfections in the caulking bead before it becomes cured. Applications may include, but are not limited to, use with caulking sealant made from silicone compounds, elastomer compounds, urethane and polyurethane compounds, polymers, butyls, poly-sulfide lithoseals, thiokols, and epoxys that are employed in a variety of industries to obtain a defined finished effect, such as but not limited to, the construction, marine, automotive, aircraft, electronic, and manufacturing industries.
2. Description of Prior Art
Caulking compound sealants are used for many purposes. They weatherproof joints and can provide a structural glazing function. Caulking compound sealants further can provide a secure bond between materials having different surface textures, porosities, and coefficients of expansion. Most caulking compound sealants are dispensed from a manufacturer""s tube or with use of conventional caulking equipment, such as a caulking gun having a trigger-like actuator connected to a plunger. Operator skill and experience are generally required for aesthetically pleasing results. Also for most effective joint performance, the width and bed depth of a caulking bead must be appropriate to the application. Once a bead of caulking compound sealant is dispensed into a joint, tooling is usually recommended to smooth the exposed surface of the caulking bead, eliminate irregularities in the edges of the caulking bead and make the width and bed depth of the bead more uniform, as well as to eliminate air bubbles within the bead and otherwise ensure full contact of the caulking bead with the joint. A finger moistened with water or saliva and drawn with at least light pressure across the surface of a caulking bead is an easy and widely used caulk tooling means. However, the finger employed must be frequently remoistened to provide the degree of smoothness desired in the bead and avoid accumulation of the caulking compound sealant on the finger. In spite of precautions taken by operators when saliva or water is used as the finger moistening means, it is the depositing of caulking compound sealant on the finger employed to smooth it that signals a need for the operator to remoisten the finger. Thus, when saliva or water is used as the finger moistening agent sealant, chemicals repeatedly come in contact with an operator""s tooling finger or fingers, and when saliva is used as the finger moistening agent, the process of remoistening the finger almost always results in the depositing of some caulking agent into the operator""s mouth. Although the quantity of caulking compound sealants ingested at any one time may be small and have little effect on the overall health of a person attempting to tool caulking compound, repeated dermal contact with, and/or direct ingestion of, the sealant chemicals over a period of years can result in serious and harmful health effects. Hair loss over the entire body has been know to occur in some professionals using saliva and a finger for smoothing caulking compound sealants. Other known adverse consequences can range from treatable dry skin, skin redness and irritation, and other treatable forms of contact dermatitis, to irreparable damage to organs and tissues. To avoid serious health risk to both the occasional and professional operator, it would be useful to have a method for tooling caulking beads that is as simple, convenient, inexpensive, and as easy to use as a water-moistened or saliva-moistened finger, however one that does not permit direct contact and accumulation of the caulking compound sealant on an operator""s finger or tongue.
Several devices are known for use in smoothing a caulking bead and attach to either a caulking gun or to the manufacturer""s tube used to contain caulking compound sealant. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,728 to Kartler (1997). The Kartler invention comprises a wiping device that can be mounted on a caulking gun and used for wiping and smoothing the surface of a caulking bead immediately after it is dispensed to a corner joint. The Kartler device combines the application and smoothing of caulking compounds into a single step. However, the Kartler device is not easily retrofitted to caulking compound sealants dispensed from a manufacturer""s tube as the forward wall of the tube would need to be strengthened to serve as the mounting means for the wiping arm. In contrast, although application and tooling are accomplished in separate steps, the present invention provides a water-based lubricant composition containing a combination of surfactants and stabilizer that enables a finger or simple tool to be used in tooling newly dispensed caulking compound sealant. Also, the present invention provides many advantages. It is inexpensive, easy to apply and easily removed after caulking compound curing, and it provides the operator with a sanitary and non-toxic lubricant product for making the familiar and trusted finger-method of smoothing caulking compound sealants a safe one for operator use. The present invention is also phosphate-free to address environmental concerns, non-contaminating to the caulking compound ingredients, and biodegradable when rinsed from the caulking bead after curing. Further its use provides reliable caulk smoothing results, and as the ingredients in the present invention cause residual amounts of it to adhere to the operator""s caulk smoothing finger, the caulking compound sealants do not come in contact with the operator""s skin or tongue and the operator is thereby protected from the serious health risks previously posed. No means of tooling a caulking bead is known that has all of the advantages of the present invention.
The primary object of this invention is to provide a lubricant product and method of its use for removing all of the imperfections in a newly dispensed caulking bead that are simple, easy to use, and eliminate the health risks previously imposed on an operator using a saliva or water moistened finger to smooth caulking compound sealants. It is a further object of this invention to provide a caulking bead lubricant product that comprises non-toxic and biodegradable components. It is also an object of this invention to provide a caulking bead tooling means that can be used with beads of caulking dispensed directly from a manufacturer""s tube, as well as through the use of a caulking gun. A further object of this invention is to provide a caulking bead tooling lubricant means that can be easily removed from the caulking bead after the caulking compound sealant is cured. It is also an object of this invention to provide a caulking bead tooling lubricant means that does not interfere with the curing process of the caulking compound sealant in the bead or otherwise chemically interact with the caulking compound sealant so as to diminish its ability to properly fulfill its joint sealing function.
As described herein, properly manufactured and used, the present invention would enable even those inexperienced in caulking compound sealant application to rapidly tool a newly dispensed caulking bead into a smooth, uniform, and aesthetically appealing configuration. Since the present invention is non-toxic, it could be applied from a tube or other container directly onto a user""s finger without adverse affect to the user, and the ingredients in the present invention would cause residual amounts of it to remain on the finger and protect the finger from direct contact with the caulking compound sealants it is employed to smooth. In the alternative, the present invention could be applied directly to the caulk bead and fulfill the same finger protecting function. The user""s finger would no longer need to be moistened with water or saliva, thus eliminating the serious health risks posed by direct caulking compound sealant dermal contact and ingestion. The present invention also eliminates the need for a specialized tool or one that would require special cleaning and/or disposal. Further, since it is water-based, made from a combination of surfactants and stabilizer, does not contain phosphates, and it is biodegradable, the present invention is easily rinsed from the caulking bead after the caulking compound sealant has cured without concern of environment harm when frequently applied to a user""s finger. The lubricant properties of the present invention would prevent the caulking compound sealant from adhering to the user""s finger during tooling of the caulking bead, thus facilitating and speeding the caulk smoothing process. Also, the composition of the present invention allows it to be easily and rapidly rinsed from a user""s finger, or tool when employment of a caulk-smoothing tool is preferred. The present invention would not chemically interact with the caulking compound sealant to prevent it from curing, nor would the present invention in any way react with the caulking compound to diminish its capability to properly perform the sealing function for which it was intended. Since the present invention is applied to a caulking bead after it is positioned within a joint, the present invention can be used to tool caulking compound sealant dispensed from a caulking gun, as well as that dispensed directly from a manufacturer""s tube. During its application and use, the present invention helps to smooth the exposed surface of the caulking bead and eliminate irregularities in the edges of the caulking bead, while at the same time making the width and bed depth of the bead more uniform, eliminating air bubbles within the bead, and otherwise promoting full contact of the caulking bead with the joint into which it is placed. The same benefits are achieved whether the caulking bond is made between materials having similar or different surface textures, porosities, and coefficients of expansion. No caulk tooling means is known which has all of the advantages provided by the present invention.
The description herein provides the preferred embodiments of the present caulking bead tooling invention and method, but should not be construed as limiting their scope. For example, variations in the selection of surfactants used, the amount of the present invention lubricant applied to the finger, tool, or caulk bead, the number of time the finger or tool is allowed to pass over the newly applied caulk bead prior to reapplication of lubricant, and the type and concentration of stabilizer used, other than those shown and described herein may be incorporated into the present invention. Thus the scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than being limited to the examples given.